Refinish or paint cabinets?

I have been going back and forth whether to replace, reface, or refinish our kitchen cabinets. The cabinets (pic below) are of low grade (particle board) but are in good shape. My first thought was to buy some new RTA cabinets online..and i found some that we really like (could do entire kitchen (14x10) for about $3000. The other option would be to refinish..We really would like to go for a dark cherry or mocha look, so my question is how would I go about achieving this look with what I have? Would i have to completely remove the finish and start all over (sounds like a lot of work)? or could i sand, clean, and apply a polyshade? I don't mind putting in the labor, but I don't won't them to look subpar.

I also considered the refacing option but priced it out to be around $1500, with still alot of detail work involved (plus staining?).